Hacking openSUSE 10.2

Novell's openSUSE 10.2 is an exciting desktop operating environment that includes or supports nearly every program you need for work and play. But there are those last few programs and issues that make openSUSE just short of perfect. Web browser plugins for some kinds of online content; MP3, Windows Media, and DVD movie playback support; and drivers for Atheros wireless devices and Nvidia and ATI video cards are the chief things holding openSUSE back for some users. This guide will help you remove as many of those barriers as possible.

openSUSE 10.2 -- as the name implies -- is comprised entirely of open source software. This guide primarily tells you how to install proprietary add-ons for which there are currently no free replacements. Generally this will require you to agree to restrictive software licenses. The DVD playback capabilities are in violation of the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (and similar laws in other countries), which many believe to be unconstitutional, unethical, silly, and a violation of consumer fair use rights (Click here for more information on DMCA reform). In other words, installing the DVD decoding software could be illegal where you live; therefore I'm not suggesting that you do it if it is, but the instructions are still here for educational and informational purposes, and for those who live in areas where DeCSS is legally acceptable.